How our blog got its name

Sidney Hillman was a powerful national figure during the Great Depression, a key supporter of the New Deal, and a close ally of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

When the rumor spread that President Roosevelt ordered his party leaders to “clear it with Sidney” before announcing Harry S. Truman as his 1944 running mate, conservative critics turned on the phrase, trumpeting it as proof that the president was under the thumb of “Big Labor.”

Over the years, the phrase lost its sting and became a testament to Hillman's influence.

It's hard to imagine a labor leader wielding that kind clout today, but we like the idea—and we hope Sidney would give thumbs up to our blog.

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#Sidney's Picks: Walmart "Black Friday" Strike Edition

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein on Friday, November 23, 2012

Walmart workers vowed to strike or protest at over 1000 stores nationwide this Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. This week on Sidney's Picks we bring you the coverage of the strike and commentary on this historic action.

Think we have to choose between cheap tube socks and fair wages? Think again. A report by the policy shop Demos shows that the nation's retailers could boost the salaries of their lowest-paid full-time employees to $25,000 a year, lifting 700,000 people out of poverty, by raising prices just 1%.